The new Samsung Galaxy S22 Series: tips and tricks
April 11, 2022
If, like us, you’re loving the new Samsung Galaxy S22 Series, then you might like to know a little bit more about the hidden tricks that make these Samsung phones extra epic. Whether you’ve gone for the Samsung Galaxy S22, the Samsung S22+, or the Samsung S22 Ultra, we’ve got a heap of hacks so you can get even more from your new phone.
S22 displays
The Galaxy S22’s 6.1 inch Full HD+ display has a refresh rate that adapts to match your activity. So, scrolling through your social media doesn’t drain the battery as much. For the S22+, the display’s got 1750nit brightness. Which basically means you can watch in bright sunlight and still see clearly. Then the S22 Ultra takes it one step further, with Galaxy’s brightest display ever – 80% brighter than an OLED TV.
On top of the impressive functions of the displays, there are also loads of different options for your screen. If you go to Settings > Display, you’ll find tons of screen choices like:
- Adaptive display. This lets you access 120Hz mode. It’ll use a little more battery, but gives you smoother viewing when you need it.
- Dark mode. Everything’s dark mode now, isn’t it? Whether you’re into your dark or light screens, you’ll find this at the top of the display settings.
- One-handed mode. Great when you’ve got your hands full or limited space; it shrinks the screen for easier access. Find this under ‘Advanced features’.
- Eye comfort shield. It’s good for pre-bed scrolling as it reduces blue light and is less harsh on sleepy eyes.
- Display resolution. With three resolution settings to choose from, tap ‘Screen resolution’ and select whichever you need.
Lights, camera, action
The S22 phones are game-changing movie makers, packed with next-level innovations. Their AI-enhanced cameras give you beautifully bright night-time videos and portraits. And, with a 50MP wide camera, wider OIS to keep your shot steady, and Adaptive Pixel technology the Samsung Galaxy S22 Series gives you the most detailed photos on a Galaxy.
But there’s more. These 3 phones have pretty different cameras. If you’re big into your photography and videography, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is the ultimate. But whichever you’ve gone for, we’ve got a tip for you:
- 8K video mode. For ultra-high-resolution videos, open the Camera app to video mode, and select the aspect ratio icon. You’ll see an option for 8K, which will give you a crystal-clear result.
- Night mode. The night photos you can take on all the phones in the S22 Series surpass everything Galaxy’s done in this area before. But switching to night mode even in low light gives you a much better result, too. Just tap the moon icon when your camera’s open.
- Shot suggestions mode. This isn’t a new feature to the S22 Series, but it’s still a handy one, with even better pictures than before. You can turn this on in the settings within the Camera app.
- 108MP mode. This is only on the S22 Ultra, but it’s totally worth it. The Ultra isn’t set to 108MP as a default; you have to select it to get the full resolution. You’ll also find this within the aspect ratio icon.
S22 Safety and security
Samsung have taken their security even further with the Galaxy S22 Series. With a new Secure Folder for your private info, the content that you want to keep for your eyes only is safe. Plus, you can use anti-tracking to stay safe online. And, across the S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra, SmartThings Find helps you remotely track your phone, and block and wipe your data if you lose it. The secure Digital Wallet has had a massive upgrade too.
As well as all this, there are some shortcuts and suggestions – some of which are standard Android, but good to know anyway – which will give you that extra peace of mind:
- Call screening. Blocking nuisance calls now only takes a couple of taps, with the Samsung’s caller ID and spam app. Head to Settings > Apps > Default apps > Default caller ID and spam app, and select ‘Phone’.
- Change your app permissions. You can have full control over how much data you share with your apps. Go to Settings > Privacy > Permission manager, and you’ll see all your apps listed with all your permission types. You can manage which app uses which permission from here. Even if you’ve done this on a previous Android phone, it’s worth double-checking as the setting may not have carried over.
- Set up Secure Lock. This will make sure your phone instantly locks as soon as you hit ‘standby’. Go to Settings > Lock screen > Secure Lock setting.
- Smart Lock. This lets you tell your phone which other devices to trust, so you can unlock your phone through those. Like a Smartwatch. Head to Settings > Lock screen > Smart Lock.
Remember, though, all your additional biometric locks etc. are only as strong as your PIN. Make sure your PIN isn’t easy to guess, as biometric and other additional security layers can often be bypassed.
Save your S22 battery
The S22 Series has a vastly improved battery life, which often means you can go all day without charging. Galaxy S22 has a long-lasting 3,700mAh battery. Galaxy S22+ has a mighty 4,500mAh. And the Galaxy S22 Ultra boasts a huge 5,000mAh battery.
But for those extra-long days out, or those times where your phone is constantly in use, it’s always handy to know about these battery-saving tips:
- Power saving mode. An old favourite, but a good one, and easy to access from your Quick settings.
- See what’s using the most battery. You can view your biggest battery drainers, and see your battery history under Settings > Battery and device care.
- Dark mode. It’s likely that having a lot of bright, white light drains your battery faster than darker colours.
- Reduce your display brightness. You’ll find this in Settings.
- If you don’t need it, turn down your screen resolution. Find this in Settings > Display.
As you can see, the Galaxy S22 Series has a whole host of hidden gems that will unlock all sorts of handy features. Not got yours yet? Have a look at our phone contracts and find the perfect S22 plan for you. Or, find your nearest Three store, and check out the S22 before you buy.